About Jim Bamboulis

Latest Posts by Jim Bamboulis

Cabbing It? How Do You Do It?

You need a taxi.  You find a taxi.  You step inside. You explain your destination.

And if you’ve just watched Taxi Driver with Robert Deniro, you may be inspired to add ‘step on it’ in a grungy New York accent.  Albeit tempting and funny, it’s up to you. Cabbies already have enough wise guys in their cars.  But who knows, you may get a chuckle and an inflated final tab. Lucky you.

Back to the point.

When you get into a taxi, do you find yourself unconsciously, automatically opening the back door, sitting and delegating from the back seat?  Sure, we all have.  Can’t help it, I guess.  But have you ever stopped to think about it?

I hadn’t. Until recently.  Nobody ever explained cab etiquette to me.  Does such a thing even exist? I guess it has always been understood that the first rule of cabbing it is to always sit in the back. Nobody ever asked why and it was never a conversation piece.  In my experience being in Toronto, almost everyone unconsciously hops in the back.  Nothing wrong with it, just funny.

Why do we do it?  After all, we don’t sit in the back when our spouse or sibling drives us somewhere.

Of course, when we travel in larger groups, someone ends up sitting in the front.  I’ve often been that guy and almost always strike up a conversation with the driver.  Besides small talk, I ask how many people on average sit next to him on a fare. The answer that comes back is ‘not too many’.

Is it a comfort issue? Is it a class issue?

It might be both but I think it’s neither.  It’s simply habit. Generally speaking, we don’t think much about habits like this.  Too many other things to think about.

I also think cabbies prefer having passengers sit in the back.  It’s safer and provides a space buffer between people whose relationship lasts mere minutes, from pick up to drop off. Nothing wrong with that, either.

How do you cab it? Are you an habitual back seat passenger or prefer to ride shotgun?

Oregon’s Seaside Magic: Cannon Beach

I can smell the Ocean.  It’s around the corner.  Round the bend, we enter Cannon Beach.  Not too many people talk about Oregon’s coast.  California gets all the attention.  First time here. Don’t know what to expect.

That’s perfect. Love the unexpected. Especially when it’s a pleasant surprise.

An hour or so south of the Washington-Oregon border and about an hour west of Portland, Cannon Beach is a small seaside community. The type of town that probably welcomes new residents with apple pie, maybe even brownies and seafood.

West coast, laid back. What’s the rush after all?  You’re on the edge of the continent. Sit, relax, have a drink and look out over the horizon. I do. With pleasure.  And in doing so, I’m amazed at what I see.

With any coastline, you expect to see beauty.  Sand, water and maybe even a cliff or two.  Take some pictures and move on.  But Cannon Beach has something more. In fact, its most popular attraction was unknown to me until I saw it myself.

Haystack Rock.

A massive, awe-inspiring, jagged rock rising from the Ocean and sitting a few feet from the beach. It’s that moment during a trip that you’re hit with something so unexpected, that you’re forced to sit and process what you’re looking at, what’s happening, where you are.

Ever have that moment?

If you like seeing popular attractions during peak seasons, then May through September is your time of the year.  But there’s also a beauty to this attraction during the winter months as well.  Rain and strong winds add a certain je ne sais quoi  to this giant piece of protruding basalt.

Seattle’s Germy But Colorful GUM Wall

I recently came back from Seattle.  I’ve been there twice now and both times I’ve visited, something new has been discovered.   The first time, it was the Fremont Troll (more on that coming up on a different post).  This time around, it was the Gum Wall.

The what?!

Yeah, the Gum Wall which up until this point, didn’t know it existed.

Not only has it existed for the past 20 years but during that time, has become a MAJOR tourist attraction.

Who knew?

Considered to be one of the germiest attractions on the Planet (along with the Blarney Stone), Seattle’s Gum Wall is a somewhat hidden point of interest, located within the infamous Pike Market but below and slightly off the main market drag.

It’s not so much a single gum wall as it is several gum walls.  An impressive compilation of gum built up and stuck on over the past 2 decades.  It’s like a bunch of kids were asked to take the gum out of their mouths and instead of sticking it under their desks, they stuck it on the wall.

Most come to stick their own gum on the wall and make a design out of it.  Many others come to take pictures while others come to lick the gum and have a picture of themselves licking the gum.  There’s always a few of those in the crowd.

But in the grand scheme of things, I have to hand it to Seattle and to the residents of the city.  Sure, the Space Needle and the Market get a lot of the attention and they should.  These are legit attractions that define Seattle.  However, this attraction is a unique oddity that makes a city dynamic and different.  It seems cities everywhere these days have a tall building they count on for identity and pride.  But few can boast about the legend and history of an attraction that makes everyone smile and adds a truly endearing quality to an ever-changing city like Seattle.

I hope the city doesn’t decide to scrape the gum off this wall.  But just in case they do, here’s where you can find it.  Get there while you can; here’s where you can find it.

 

Bring a Whole Lotta Stamina to Canada’s Quebec City

We land.  Excited.  Quebec City.

This city often plays little brother to its much bigger Provincial counterpart Montreal.  QC stays relatively under the radar, makes some noise once in a while (winter carnival, ice hotel and politics) but overall stays pretty reserved.  It’s a smaller town. Not very cocky. Little to no bravado.

But it does ever make a statement!

Quick facts about Quebec City:

• If you’re the type of traveler who prefers to arrive, check in, drop everything and hit the ground running, then 4 days in QC is one day too many.  It’s a very walkable city that can be absorbed, seen and experienced in 3 days.
• It’s one of the oldest cities in North America (over 400 years old).
• The ramparts surrounding  Old Quebec are the only remaining fortified city walls that exist in the Americas (north of Mexico).

• The Historic District of Old Quebec was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in ’85.
• The Plains of Abraham is considered to be the birthplace of Canada!
• The Quebec Nordiques (hockey team that got re-located to Denver in the 90′s) are still revered. You can still buy a jersey virtually anywhere.
• If you don’t eat Poutine while here, you haven’t lived!

The first time I visited was only for about 24 hours. That was 8 years ago.

This time, I spent 4 days exploring and appreciating it and took several pictures.  Take a look and keep in mind, summer is probably the best time to visit.  The winters here are brutal!

Wondering about the title of the post?  Here’s the explanation.

If you’re flying into QC be aware of the following:

It does not have a consistent city bus that travels between the airport and Old City.  The 80 bus goes to the airport only in the morning (to drop off airport employees) and goes towards the city in the afternoons (to take employees back home).  It’s not meant to be a regular bus or route for anyone but airport personnel.

Which doesn’t make much sense considering it’s a tourist town.
Think about it.  If you land in the morning in this town, you’re screwed!

It doesn’t have a subway system nor a shuttle bus service.

If you refer to the QC public transportation website before you go, you better know how to read and understand French.  There is no option for English translation.

Besides, locals believe the public transportation system is a joke and nobody, and I mean nobody, knew what city bus to take or transfer to get to the Old City.

Nobody!!  That should tell you everything.

So unfortunately, you’re best bet is to take a cab.  And that’s going to run you $35.

If you decide to arrive by train, you’re in luck.  The train station is centrally located and is a few minutes walk (uphill) to the old, fortified city.

Bring your stamina.

Toronto in the Colors of the Summer

There are fewer people that appreciate warm, summer weather than Canadians!  With winter being so long and most times so bone chilling dreary, summer time weather serves as an oasis to the soul.

Especially in Toronto where the city provides festival after festival and outdoor events galore.  Thousands soak it all in to create memories that only the summer can provide.

Here’s a glimpse into some of the summer time sights around Canada’s largest city.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beautiful University of Toronto in Photos…

University of Toronto is a beautiful place, especially in the spring.  I recently took a walk around my old stomping grounds.  Even though I know the campus well, I was pleasantly surprised to discover new things. The grounds are absolutely stunning and of course, lush green.

 

Scammed and inspired over 96 hours in Istanbul

Landed at 10pm.  No idea where I was going. Alone.  Disoriented. Ignorant.  Lost.  Scared.  Thrilled.  Intoxicating mixture of thoughts and emotions. 13 …

Continue reading »

48 hours in Ottawa

What comes to mind when I say Amsterdam?  What about Buenos Aires or Havana?  Beijing, Rome or Moscow?  Depending on …

Continue reading »

Next Page »